


Happy Moments

by Zappy



Series: Crimson Spade [16]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-06
Updated: 2016-08-06
Packaged: 2018-07-29 19:58:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7697527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zappy/pseuds/Zappy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Second part of "Two Bat-Boys" and Canon!Bats is reeling with the oddities that make up Earth-696.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Happy Moments

**Author's Note:**

> I intended for this to be fluffy and flirty and for Canon!Bats to get jealous. But it ended up a little more angsty than that. I'm not sorry. (There is a bit of fluff at the end though!)

Earth 696 - Bat Cave

   After this world’s Alfred brought down breakfast, more food than he’d ever seen the man make aside from Thanksgiving with Dick, Tim, and Jason, the three of them took a break. They’d been working on Hood’s blueprints and the technicalities of the devise for going on ten hours.

   Batman was really trying not to think about staying in a world that was not his own for longer than a day, but he’d already been here for 13 hours and counting, and like Hood said the devise wouldn’t be ready for a while yet. In some ways, Batman desperately wanted to get away from this world and all it meant, and yet… there was also a part of him that yearned for this world.

   The only thing that could make this world all the more desirable would be if his parents were alive. That was a dark thought I didn’t want to continue but couldn’t stop himself. Were there worlds out there were Thomas and Martha Wayne were alive? There must be, infinite worlds and all. He looked over at this world’s Batman and wondered if he’d also thought this.

   Hood had no reason to know about that but… but if Hood was called _Master Jack_ by Alfred, if he knew Batman’s face as Bruce, did he also know why he became the Batman in the first place? Just how close was he to Hood?

   “I am fried, Batsy. I’ve been up too long and you know Alfred’s wonderful chocolate pancakes make me sleepy, so I’m heading up to bed.” Hood (because he refused to think of the man as Jack), announced to the both of them, though Batman was pretty sure wasn’t addressing him. “Don’t play too long boys.”

   He then gave the other Batman a side hug and a kiss on the cheek before walking towards the stairway that lead up to Wayne Manor. Batman stared in shock.

   Feeling the unrelenting gaze, the other Batman turned to him with only a small hint of a blush. He coughed to clear his throat, “Ah, I suppose I should explain that as well?”

   “What the hell.”

   “It’s sort of new… I mean I’ve known Jack for years but, honestly I think the only one who saw this coming was Alfred, and he had us pegged before our first anniversary of meeting.”

   He couldn’t handle this right now. He just couldn’t. So he did the only thing he could do in this situation. He set the tools down from his hands, turned on his heel, and followed Hood’s path up to the Manor. Sleep. He needed sleep and maybe if he was lucky he’d wake up in his own world and this whole place would have been a dream.

   A ludicrous, unbelievable, _fantastic_ dream. No, nightmare.

   (Maybe if he was lucky he’d wake up as this world’s Batman.)

   Not needing directions he went to one of the guest rooms Alfred always had ready on the slim chance they ever had guests stay. He was grateful at least that much hadn’t changed. Taking off most of his suit he collapsed on top of the bed and forced his racing mind to halt and sleep.

~~

Earth 696 - Wayne Manor

   Alfred had his work cut out for him. Not only did he have to deal with Masters Bruce and Jack overworking themselves (again), but he also had to deal with _another_ Master Bruce. Finding the other-world-version-of-his-charge in one of the guest rooms had been a shock. He’d half thought he’d dreamt the whole thing up.

   Taking a breath, he gently shook the shoulder of Bruce. No matter what world he hailed from, he’d always be Master Bruce. “Young Master, I imagine you’ll be wanting to wake up now. Sun’s going down and as you’re so fond of saying, bats are nocturnal.”

   “Alfred?” Bruce groggily mumbled, obviously still half asleep, “Why am I in a guest room?”

   Hiding his soft snort Alfred replied with aplomb, “I assume because you did not wish to share a room with Masters Bruce and Jack.” Ignoring the man’s startled reaction Alfred continued, “Now I have a feeling you’ll want to jump straight into work again on whatever it is you three are cooking up down in that cave, but before you so much as step a foot on stone you are going to join everyone for dinner.”

   Without waiting for a reply he moved to leave the room, pausing to say over his shoulder, “Just because you’re not from this world does not mean I will allow you to neglect your health.”

   Bruce watched as a mirror copy of his Alfred left the room satisfied he’d do as he’d been told. Well naturally he would, but this Alfred couldn’t know that. As he noticed that Alfred had left him spare clothes on the dresser for him and started to change things began to feel more real.

   Yesterday he was home in his own world. Today he was in a completely different, and yet not all that different, world. As he left his temporary room he wondered _who_ exactly did Alfred mean by everyone?

   He heard multiple voices coming from the direction of the kitchen so made his way there. Inside was Alfred, and next to him was Hood who was wearing a maroon dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up and dark grey slacks. The two of them appeared to be cleaning up the kitchen with such fluidity that it looked like they’d done it a thousand times. This world’s Bruce was sitting beside a young teen that he realized after a jolt was-

    _Jason Todd_.

   In the same room as the man who should be the Joker.

   He had to grab the edge of the door frame to remain standing or else he’d do something drastic. Before he could open his mouth, he heard a door open and close and then heard footsteps coming closer.

   A moment later, Dick Grayson walked in arm and arm with Barbara Gordon. Greetings were passed and he forced himself to not make a sound and attempt to stay in the shadows. This didn’t last long as Dick spotted him.

   “What the- Bruce?! Was _this_ why you had us patrol last night? Two of you?!”

   Barbara turned to look at Hood with an amused expression, “Did you wish really hard?”

   Hood raised both hands in a sign of peace, “Don’t look at me doll, you can blame this one _all_ on Batsy. Or rather… Owls-y? It was a Bruce Wayne, just not  _our_ Bruce. Or _that_ Bruce. It’s easier if you just number them. Our’s is of course Bruce-1, that brood-master over there is Bruce-2, and then the third one that we haven’t met yet is going to be called Evil-Bruce.”

   No one spoke for a long moment until, “I’m going to need a strong drink. Alfred?” Dick asked as he made his way towards the cabinets. 

   “Master Dick you know very well your 21st birthday isn’t for another month. You’ll be having milk with the meal like everyone else. Unless of course, any of you plan on _not_ going out on the town this evening?” Alfred asked primly and raised skeptical brow.

   No one challenged him as they all sat down around the table. He was left at a loss at what to do until Jason came over to him. “So Bruce-2, you can sit by me yeah? I mean, unless you _want_ to be between either lovebird.” Barely able to look him in the eye, let alone speak to the boy, he wordlessly did as he was asked.

   Everyone was eating their dinner as if this was normal. As if none of them were vigilante crime fighters, or it was perfectly reasonable to have two of _the same person_ sit at the table. He was so confused, he wanted to **rage** , he wanted to **shout** , he wanted _answers dammit_ , and _**what the hell did Jason mean by between either lovebird**_?

   His emotions were all over the place and he didn’t like it. Something must have shown on his face because Barbara took pity on him and explained _what in the hell they were doing_. “After Jason joined the Batfam, Alfred put his foot down regarding meals, so we all promised to have one solid meal a day to appease him. Just ended up it was easier for us all to have dinner here before suiting up to head out. Saved time and this way Alfred can make sure we keep our word.”

   “And how long has Jason…” he couldn’t finish his sentence, _his_ Jason had only been training with him for five or six years before everything happened. Before everything went wrong.

   Jason looked up from scarfing down his food, at least some things stay the same, “I’ve been livin’ with Bruce since I was 12, I’m 17 now.” Seeming to think of something he pressed further in an excited voice, “What about your me? Jason-2?”

   His throat closed up and his heart nearly stopped. He couldn’t tell them. He couldn’t tell them that the man sitting at the opposite side of the table beat Jason to death with a crowbar. Before a near immortal man brought Jason back to life but it took so much out of him… how he became Red Hood to mock his murderer, how sometimes he hated Bruce and their relationship would _never_ be the same.

   So he skipped some bits. “You’re the Red Hood in my world. Very different than… Jack’s… however.”

   Everyone looked surprised, and Jason turned to Hood with a wicked smile, “Ha! Told you I could wear it better! What the Red Hood outfit needs is _leather_.”

   Hood snorted and mock glared at the teen, “Over my dead body, kid.”

   Not your dead body, _his_. He thought morosely. Desiring a subject change, he looked to his other self. Blue eyes catching blue an understanding passed between them. The man turned to both Hood and Jason, interrupting before their playful argument could continue. “Jason, can you and Dick and Barbara handle patrol again tonight? We need to continue on the Phase Oscillator so it will be completed as soon as possible.”

   Shrugging and putting on an attitude only teenagers can exude, “Depends. Am I getting a motorcycle for my 18th birthday?”

   Hood stood up and ruffled the boy’s hair as he passed him with the dishes, “You and your motorcycle fetish!”

   “Jason…” Bruce continued in a low tone.

   “Oh alright fine. Yeah I’ll go with Nightwing and Batgirl. But seriously-”

   “I’ll think about it.” Bruce interjected with a smile. “Now finish your food and suit up.”

   Everything was so surreal. The more time he spent with these people, the more his feelings were mixed. He hated this world, he loved this world. They were all so happy and together and- why couldn’t this have happened to him? They have a hero-Hood-and-no-Joker, they have an alive-and-sane-Jason, a still-speaking-to-them-Dick, Barbara wasn’t in a wheelchair, _how was any of this fair_?

   He didn’t notice he was clutching the glass in his hand too hard until it shattered and he let out a hiss and a curse as it cut up his hand. He was glaring hatefully at his bleeding hand when a white gloved hand gently laid a cloth around it.

   Looking up he saw Alfred’s kind face and all the hatred drained out of him. “I know what you’re thinking, Master Bruce.”

   He highly doubted that, but he’d never say that to Alfred’s face. The man continued as he began bandaging his injured hand. “I know that big brain of yours is taking in every variation from your world, and you’re piecing everything together. I know you’re thinking how can any of this be fair? The hard truth is- it isn’t. Because life is not fair.” Looking into Alfred’s eyes his breath held in his chest. “But you make everything you can out of it. You take your happy moments and hold on to them for dear life.”

   Alfred glanced over his shoulder at the little family unit that was busy cleaning up the dining table. “That’s why I make them do this. To give them a happy moment to hold on to.”

   He blinked a few times to keep the tears he knew were building from falling. In a sudden urge for comfort, he pulled Alfred into a hug, which the man returned with barely a second of hesitation. After a moment where he managed to compose himself, he straightened back and let go.

   “Thank you Alfred. I didn’t know I needed that.”

   He was gifted with a gentle smile. “Any time, Master Bruce.”

~~

Earth 696 - Bat Cave

   He’d been here for four days now. The second time they’d had dinner had been only moderately better than the first, but by the third dinner he was ready to take Jason’s advice and _stay away from the lovebirds_. It didn’t help that he ended up working with the both of them the entire night. 

   If he didn’t want to go home so badly he’d have begged Dick and Jason and Barbara to let him join them on patrol. Being between Hood and the other Batman was not a fun place to be. He kept telling himself that.

   There was one particularly memorable moment when both he and the other Batman had been working at the same table and they’d hit a breakthrough. Hood had come over from his work space and mistook him for the other Batman. He was still blushing from that sudden kiss.

   He rather thought the other Batman didn’t find it nearly as amusing as Hood seemed to once he’d realized his mistake.

   Now, finally, Hood’s Phase Oscillator was complete, and they just had to test it before they’d let him go through. Wouldn’t do to send him to the wrong world where he’d be even more stuck than before.

   “Jason thought these lovely little guys up. Little cameras that fly! I call them Flies-On-The-Wall. We’ll just send one in and have a look around, then figure if it’s your place or not.” Hood explained as they sent the little robots through the spinning void.

   It gave him chills and he wasn’t really looking forward to experiencing it again. But needs must if it’d get him home. “Now that’s weird.”

   At those words he was on high alert, “What’s weird, Hood?”

   The man handed him his Oscillator and pointed to the screen, “They’re all labeled. I mean, I was kinda hoping I’d have to go in and number or name them myself but… it’s like it connected to an already existing network. See the portal right now leads to a… Earth-50. And according to this _our_ world is Earth-… _696_?” He let out a snicker at that and wagged his green eye-brows. “Well ain’t _that_ fitting!”

   Growling under his breath, the other Batman nudged Hood’s shoulder, “Focus, Hood.”

   “Okay okay, sorry Batsy. Anyway, as I was saying, I don’t think this is your world. So let’s try… Oh! Since it’s all labeled by itself, I wonder if I can punch in a number…”

   Hood’s acid eyes stared at him very hard, “Now, what number are you…? I suppose it’d be too easy to say you really are Bats-2… well, might as well start at 1!”

   Punching in the code, he opened another portal and sent a Flies-On-The-Wall in. They all waited on baited breath for the results. “BINGO! Wow that’s lucky. There’s an Owlman running around, but I’m pretty sure this is your stop. Please unfasten your seat-belts and put all trays in the upright position.”

   Batman looked at the two of them. Now that the time was here to leave, he wanted to engrave these past few days into his memory. “Thank you. Both of you, for helping me.”

   The other Batman nodded gravely, but Red Hood smirked and gave a playful salute. Calculation appeared behind his eyes, and the next thing he knew, he had an armful of Jack and his mouth was busy. Surprised even more than the first time, he clutched at Jack’s suit. This couldn’t be explained away, Jack knew full well which Batman he was, this was no accidental kiss. This was on purpose.

   Pulling back, Jack gave him a warm and small smile, his eyes conveying a thousand things he wasn’t ready to hear yet. And because of his own circumstances back in his world, maybe not ever. “Sorry I cause so much trouble Bruce. But I figured you should have at least _one_ happy moment.”

  Stepping back, the both of them raised a hand good bye and Bruce stepped through the portal towards home.

~~

Earth 1 - Bat Cave

   He looked around and saw signs of Owlman snooping around. Looks like holiday was over.  He had a lot of work to do. But he did manage a genuine smile at the thought of his last sight of that other world. Batman and Red Hood, and in hand, side by side. As it should be.


End file.
